The North Unitarian Universalist Congregation Newsletter January 2011 |
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January News and Events!
Delaware
County Community Market The Delaware Country Community Market
is a fascinating new venture in downtown “Orientation
to Our Congregation” March 20 Earlier this fall we recognized
several new members of our congregation. If you would like to learn
more about UU or join the congregation, be sure to sign up for the next
“Orientation to our Congregation” session Sunday, March 20 from
12:00pm-1:30pm. Rev. Susan Ritchie and
a Membership Committee rep. will explain the denomination’s (and our
congregation’s) history and the meaning of membership. Babysitter service available upon
request. New and recently joined
members will be recognized during service Sunday, March 27. If you would like to join the congregation
on or prior to this day, let Rev. Ritchie know - RevRitchie@aol.com or
740-657-8081. Service
Auction Results Our annual NUUC Service Auction held
on Sunday, December 12 after service was a rousing success – nearly $2,700
was raised! Thanks to all who donated
and for all who stayed and purchased items and services. This is an important fund raiser for the
church, and your enthusiasm and support is so appreciated! A special thank-you to Becca
Morse for her diligent organization and awesome catalog, and to Tony Marconi
for again lending his entertaining auctioneer talents! Brown
Bag Book Group Join us on Tuesday, January 18 at For those who like to read ahead, we
will be discussing Half Empty
by David Rakoff in February. Our small group continues to grow,
and we are having lively discussions each month. Won’t you join us
--remember, we meet the third Tuesday of the month at Happy reading! Ruth Rusk NUUC
Has Gone Green Thanks to
the help of the Building and Grounds Committee, we now have the opportunity
to recycle glass, plastic (#1 & #2), aluminum, and paper/cardboard.
Please look for the correct bins to place the items to be recycled.
They are located both in the kitchen and in Nielsen House. While
helping the planet, we may even be able to make money from recycling our pop
cans! Please contact Cathy Rodeheffer with
any questions (614-370-5202). January
Music Notes A note to choir members: The NUUC Choir will resume regular
rehearsals on Sunday, January 16 at A big thank you goes out to soloists
Lauren Richards, Brad Dana, and Lyn Herron for singing at the three worship
services while the choir is on a well-deserved break. Musically yours, Marlene Hartzler,
Music Director Women
of Spirit Program NUUC's women's group, “Women of
Spirit,” continues a new program that might best be described as “Looking for
the Feminine Soul.” The program
consists of 10 sessions and meets every 6 weeks (session One began on June
27, but you can come whenever you like).
Meetings are from We will be reading these novels: The
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Temple of My Familiar by
Alice Walker, and/or The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. There also will be readings (provided) from
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter (Sue Monk Kidd), The Goddess in
the Gospels (Margaret Starbird), When God
Was a Woman (Merlin Stone), Toward a New Psychology of Women (Dr.
Jean Baker Miller), and the UU curriculum Rise Up and Call Her Name
(Elizabeth Fisher). Men are welcome to attend
meetings. They may be interested in
“archetypes” or the bits of history that will be studied (see session
six). Women and men: come to as many
(or as few) sessions as you like. The remaining sessions: 6 (Jan. 23) Inviting Men Into the Quest: What's
In It For Them 7 (Mar. 6) Assessing the Hard Facts: What is
Still at Stake, part 1 Abuse
world wide, and why 8 (Apr. 17) Assessing, part 2 Book(s)
discussion: The Temple of My Familiar, The Kitchen God's
Wife, or other 9 (May 29) Backing Away from Power: Why is
That? The
importance of conflict 10 (July 10) Unlocking It Just
what have we “locked up”? The
“Water Blessing” Contact person: Marty Keith (740) 369-1919 or martykeith@verizon.net NUUC
Covenant Group News Two of our three covenant groups (the
Thursday evening and Saturday morning groups) are still welcoming new members. If you are interested in participating in
either of these covenant groups, just contact the group’s facilitator. So, what is a covenant group? Covenant groups are small groups
of 6-10 people that meet monthly and allow you to explore significant questions
and to experience community through deep, intentional listening.
Covenant groups are not support groups. Nor are they intended to solve
people’s problems or to provide spiritual enlightenment. In covenant
groups, people get to know each other in a neighborly way, to feel in touch
with each other's lives, and to provide a context in which to think about and
talk through "the big questions." Covenant groups provide a
unique experience that differs from adult education, other groups, Sunday
services, or anything else you do at church. The groups are open to
NUUC members, non-members, visitors, and friends. Covenant groups meet for 2 hours monthly, usually from October through June. Each covenant group creates a covenant as a way they intend to be together. Meetings have a discussion topic, follow a simple format, and are guided by a facilitator. The format of the meetings helps participants set aside daily distractions, reflect on their lives and beliefs, and make meaningful connections with one another. Each meeting focuses on a different topic, which leads to reflection on the deeper issues of who we are and what gives our lives meaning. All new topics are being covered this year. Here is specific information about each group: Wednesday
Morning Covenant Group (closed to new members): l
Meeting Day
& Time: 3rd Wed. of
month at l
Meeting
Location: Nielsen House l
Next
Meeting: January 19 l
Facilitator: John Rodeheffer
(740-369-9659, jrodeheffer@insight.rr.com) l
Upcoming
Topics: ♦
The Bucket List
(January 19) ♦
Sorting Our Values
(February 16) ♦
Ethical Wills
(March 16) ♦
Stages of Faith
(April 20) ♦
Where Would You Be Without UU? (May 18) ♦
(No June meeting scheduled) Thursday
Evening Covenant Group (new members still welcome): l
Meeting Day
& Time: 2nd Thur.
evening of month at l
Meeting
Location: Fellowship Hall or other
locations l
Next
Meeting: January 13 l
Facilitator: Bob Keith (740-369-1919, bobkeith@frontier.com) l
Upcoming Topics
(check with Bob for updated scheduling): ♦
Pure Joy ♦
Sorting Our Values ♦
What If God Was One of Us? ♦
The Bucket List ♦
Stages of Faith ♦
Play’s the Thing ♦
Where Would You Be Without UU? ♦
Ethical Wills Saturday Morning
Covenant Group (new members still welcome): l
Meeting Day
& Time: Monthly on 1st Sat. at l
Meeting
Location: Panera Bread, corner of l
Next
Meeting: January 8 (not on January 1) l
Facilitator: Dick Leavy
(614-890-7319, rckleavy@sbcglobal.net) l
Upcoming
Topics: ♦
January
8 "The Process of Change"
(Dick will send out preliminary information on the topic one week prior) ♦
February 5
Ethical Wills ♦
March 12 (instead of the 5th)
Forever Young ♦
April 2 Balance ♦
May 7 this
session will be a free-form discussion ♦
June 4
Perfectionism and Procrastination For additional
information, pick up our new brochure about the Covenant Group program, which
is located in the literature rack in the sanctuary. A description of each topic appears in the
brochure. If you have general
questions or other comments about covenant groups, please send a note to Rev.
Susan Ritchie at RevRitchie@aol.com. |
January Calendar Preview: (N) = Nielsen House
(F) = Fellowship Hall (S) = Sanctuary January 2 Social Action Committee (N) (confirm date with Chair Tracy Steinbrenner) January 8 January 9 Loose Change Sunday Fair Trade Sale after service January 11 Worship Committee meeting January 13 January 15 January 16 January 18 January 19 10:00am – Covenant Group (N) February newsletter submission deadline January 21-22 January 25 January 30 Chili Cook-Off after service (F) Adult
Education Classes Planned NUUC is pleased to offer the following
Adult Education classes for the new year; see sign-up sheets on the bulletin
board to register. Child care will be
offered upon request. For questions
concerning these offerings, contact Rev. Susan Ritchie at 740-657-8081, ext.
2 or RevRitchie@aol.com Final
Passages. Rev Ritchie offers a workshop on the
specifically religious aspects of end of life arrangements. What range of choices are available
regarding the handling of the body, funerals, and memorial services? How does theology inform those
choices? What arrangements should you
make in advance for yourself, or, how do you arrange appropriate services for
a loved one? Sunday, February 20, UU
Theology. What and how do UUs believe about God,
evil, human nature, the nature of truth, and just about everything else all
packed into one workshop (we will schedule more follow up sessions if there
is a demand)! Offered by Rev. Ritchie,
Sunday, April 10, The “Menu for the Future” class to be led by Commissioned Lay Leaders
Allison Fagan and Teri Cornell will begin on Tuesday evening, Jan. 11 and run
for seven weeks. Participants are
invited to meet at Fair
Trade The Social Action
Committee will hold its monthly Fair Trade Sale after the service on Sunday,
January 9 (held the second Sunday of every month). Your purchase
of fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate supports economic justice in
coffee-growing communities. See Brandy or Paul Montgomery for
more info (brandy.montgomery@gmail.com) OMD Winter Institute February 2011 Join us for a relaxing and "schedule and stress free" weekend
for UUs of all ages at the 11th Annual Ohio Meadville District’s
“Winter Institute” to be held Winter Institute is held at Register at the OMD website by January 28th and reserve your room
directly with Salt Fork and ask for the UU conference rate (room block will
be held until January 17.) For more information and to register go to http://www.ohiomeadville.org/conference/omdwi.html Chili
Cook-Off Jan. 30 It’s time
again for the NUUC Annual Chili Cook-Off.
Join us Sunday, January 30 after the service for food and fun! Past years’ winners include David Petras, who swept the “Meat” category with his Mexican
Chocolate Chili in 2009, and On Sunday, January 30, bring your
best chili entry, either Vegetarian or Meat.
If you don’t wish to bring chili, please
do bring your appetite and help us crown the “Campeónes
de Chili!” See the bulletin board in
Fellowship Hall for more info and to sign up your entry. Contact Jan Bourke with any questions: jdb135@wowway.com or 614-268-6390. Thanks for Helping with NUUC Mowing! As you may know, for this past mowing
season, we handled the mowing ourselves at NUUC. Our coordinated mowing efforts went quite
well and saved a lot of money. We estimate
we saved $2,400 by not contracting out the mowing. Instead, for the grounds around the church
and Nielsen House, the Building and Grounds Committee members took turns
mowing each week except for one week each month, which was handled by a
volunteer from the congregation. At this time, we would like to thank
the congregational volunteers for their efforts to fill out the mowing
schedule. Specifically, a big thank
you goes to the following congregational volunteers for mowing once during
the summer: Yvonne Clippinger Tracy Steinbrenner Neil Kirby Traci Aquara Steve Mallett Brad Dana In addition, we thank Fred &
Nancy Kohn, who signed up to mow at the end of the season but the growth of
the grass slowed so much they didn’t need to mow. For 3 weeks each month, 3 members of
the B & G Committee took turns mowing.
We give a hearty thank you to these committee members for their
efforts each month: John Rodeheffer Roger Orwick Bob Keith Also, we give a great big thank you
to B&G Committee member Gary Rusk for his work mowing the large field at
the rear of our property plus west of the parking lot. Lastly, mowing is not complete unless
you trim the edges. We give a big
thank you to Don Dillemuth for his weed trimming
efforts each month, which added a lot to the grounds’ overall good
appearance. Since our volunteer mowing approach
worked so well, we plan to continue this approach in the coming mowing
season. Watch for more information on
our mowing plans as Spring approaches. Reminder:
Renew your Kroger Plus Cards Thanks to
all of you who have registered (or renewed) your Kroger Plus card with the
Community Rewards program and designating NUUC as your recipient. (We recently received a rewards check for
$226.11 – way to shop!) Individual
participation must be renewed annually, so be sure you have updated your
record. If you haven’t registered or need to
update your participation: Go to http://www.kroger.com and select Kroger Community Rewards at the bottom
of the page. You’ll need your account
information or your Plus card number to complete the registration. It is a little cumbersome, but the sooner
you do it the sooner your purchases start counting toward another nice
donation from Kroger. (Should you need
it, our NUUC Nonprofit Organization Number is 84869). NUUC
Directory Fall Update The Fall update to the NUUC Directory
of Members and Friends was disseminated via e-mail in November. Sending out this information via e-mail is
more cost-effective and allows us to make more timely updates. However, if you have no means to
print out a copy of the directory or ever just wish to receive a paper copy,
kindly let Jeri Dill know at nuucjdill@aol.com or 740-657-8081, ext. 1, noting whether you are able to pick it up
at church (to save postage) or you need it mailed to you. Help us keep the directory
information current--please notify Jeri if your address, phone, or e-mail
information needs updating. |